A technical team from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development is scheduled to depart for China to participate in a specialised training programme designed to build local Maldivian capacity in bridge maintenance and repair, the ministry has announced.
The 10-day programme, running in China from 15 to 26 September, involves a five-member technical delegation. Prior to departure, Ambassador of China to the Maldives Kong Xianhua met with the ministry’s team to discuss the initiative, which aims to impart essential operational expertise in bridge maintenance and structural repair.
Technical assessments and routine maintenance for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, or Sinamalé Bridge, are currently provided by its project contractor, CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Company. Local personnel undergo continuous instruction with the firm's assistance, the ministry reported. "The continued assistance from the People's Republic of China in capacity building," the ministry stated on X, "is a testament to the enduring friendship between the Maldives and China."
The practical value of this partnership was underscored last week when two vessels struck the Sinamalé Bridge, causing minor superficial exterior damage. An inspection survey promptly conducted with CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Company confirmed that the bridge suffered no structural harm, officials verified. Developed with Chinese financial assistance and inaugurated in August 2018, the 1.4-kilometre crossing features seven marine pillars anchored into the seabed, representing an investment of USD 200 million.